A broken rib is treated with pain medicine and breathing exercises. The breathing exercises keep the airways of the lungs opened so that other problems (like a lung infection) don't happen.

Most broken ribs heal within 6 weeks. Here's how to help your child as they heal.

• Let your child rest as needed. 
• Follow your care team's instructions for giving any pain medicines. It's very important to control your child's pain so they can do the breathing exercises. Your health care provider may recommend ibuprofen (such as Advil^®, Motrin^®, or a store brand), naproxen (such as Aleve^®, Naprosyn^®, or a store brand), or prescription pain medicine. Some pain medicines include the same or similar ingredients. To avoid giving too much, give the medicines exactly as your health care provider recommends.
• To help with pain, you can put an ice pack wrapped in a towel on the broken rib for 20 minutes every few hours.
• Your child can hold a soft pillow against the broken rib area to help reduce pain while coughing or doing breathing exercises.
• Be sure your child does any breathing exercises that were recommended by the health care provider.
• Your child can return to school when the pain is tolerable and they're not taking any prescription pain medicines. It's OK for them to take ibuprofen or naproxen while going to school. They may need help carrying their school supplies for a few weeks.
• Your child can slowly increase their activities. If doing an activity causes a lot of pain, have them take a break and try later or the next day.
• Ask your health care provider when your child can return to sports and if they need any special protective equipment.

Your child:

• can't do the breathing exercises because of pain
• has pain that gets worse
• develops a cough or fever
• is breathing fast or feels short of breath
• isn't back at school within a few days

Your child:

• has severe pain
• struggles to breathe

What do the ribs do? There are 12 pairs of ribs. They protect organs underneath them, such as the heart and lungs. They also have a role in breathing and supporting the upper body.

What causes a broken rib? A broken rib can happen from a blow to the chest during sports (like hockey or football), from a car crash, from a fall, or even from very strong coughing. Someone can also break their rib from doing a certain movement again and again (for example, swinging a golf club).